ECC approves gas allocation from Mitha, Bitro fields to SSGC

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved the summary presented by the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) for allocation of gas under commercial production from the United Energy Pakistan’s fields to the Sui Southern Gas Company.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan chaired the meeting on Friday.

The United Energy Pakistan will provide gas from Mitha and Bitro fields to SSGC. The ECC after due deliberation decided that the gas price will be as per the applicable Petroleum Policy to be decided by the relevant regulators.

The meeting also deliberated in detail about the summary presented by the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) on mechanism for granting concessionary tariff to the eligible consumers of zero-rated industrial consumers of Lasbela Industrial Estate and Sundar Industrial Estate and for prospective industrial estates.

The committee directed for installation of double metres at zero-rated industrial consumers of LIEDA and SIE for verification of reading by the K-Electric and the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) and directed that the subsidy claims may be processed on the basis of difference of readings.

After detailed discussion, the ECC deferred the summary tabled by the Ministry of Industries and Production on Auto Industry Development and Export Policy (AIDEP) 2021/26, and directed to present it in the next meeting after review of the same.

The ECC also discussed the summary on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Policy 2021/25 presented by the Ministry of Industries and Production and directed to review the policy and discuss the observations raised by the relevant stakeholders under the chairmanship of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin.

The proposal would be presented to the Cabinet after developing a consensus between the stakeholders.

The meeting also approved the summaries of technical supplementary grants tabled by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, respective federal secretaries and other senior government officers, attended the meeting.

Earlier, Shaukat Tarin presided over the meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee and reviewed the summaries in detail and presented its recommendations to the ECC for its consideration.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, federal secretaries and other senior officers.